Dementia

Question 1

dementia

Answer 1

syndrome that may be caused by a number of illnesses in which there is a progressive decline in multiple areas of functioning

Question 2

dementia symptoms

Answer 2

decline in memory and reasoning
decline in communication skills
inability to carry out daily activities
agitation
aggression
wandering
shouting
repeated questioning
sleep disturbance
depression and psychosis

Question 3

most common type of dementia

Answer 3

Alzheimer’s

Question 4

dementia types

Answer 4

alzheimers
vascular
Lewy body
frontal temporal
parkinsin
mixed

Question 5

does alzheimers or vascular dementia progress more quickly

Answer 5

vascular

Question 6

dementia risk factors

Answer 6

age
genetics+ family hx
down syndrome
high cholesterol
hypertension
diabetes
cognitive inactivity/ low educational attainment
head injury
depression

Question 7

why can education, sodoku, and novel reading be protective against dementia

Answer 7

mental challenge

Question 8

2 key features of dementia in the brain

Answer 8

amyloid plaques
Tau tangles

Question 9

where are amyloid plaques found

Answer 9

between neurones and in cerebral vessels

Question 10

where are tau tangles found

Answer 10

neurones

Question 11

alzeimers disease brain changes

Answer 11

beta amyloid deposits
Tau/neurofibrillary tangles
neuritic dystrophy
synaptic loss
selective neuronal cell loss
loss of ACh cells

Question 12

do tau tangles or amyloid plaques develop first

Answer 12

amyloid plaques

Question 13

why are people with downs syndrome at higher risk for dementia

Answer 13

extra copy of APP gene on extra chromosome 21

Question 14

4 genes involved in alzheimers

Answer 14

APP
PSEN1 -> subunit y secretase
PSEN2 -> subunit y secretase
Apolipoprotein E

Question 15

where is APP expressed

Answer 15

neurones
glial cells
endothelium
smooth muscle

Question 16

what protein does the APP gene encode

Answer 16

amyloid precursor protein

Question 17

3 enzymes that cleave amyloid precursor protein

Answer 17

beta secretase
alpha secretase
gamma secretase

Question 18

is dementia risk increased by mutations that increase or decrease amyloid beta production

Answer 18

increase

Question 19

most common cause of early onset AD

Answer 19

PSEN1 mutations

Question 20

PSEN1 and PSEN2 role in AD

Answer 20

encodes presenilin-1 and presenilin-2 which are subunits of gamma secretase

Question 21

which secretases are involved in the non amyloidogenic and amyloidogenic pathways of APP processing

Answer 21

non amyloidogenic - alpha and gamma
amyloidogenic - beta and gamma

Question 22

what decides which isoforms of APP are produced

Answer 22

which secretases are present

Question 23

amyloidogenic pathway of APP processing

Answer 23

beta secretase cleaves APP -> gamma secretase cleaves APP -> A beta formed -> A beta aggregates and oligomerizes forming plaques

Question 24

are amyloid plaques always pathological

Answer 24

no, normal physiological process and plaques can be inert and not affect cognition

Question 25

why does amyloid production increase with age

Answer 25

decreased clearance
overproduction

Question 26

how do amyloid plaques cause damage

Answer 26

trigger inflammatory response
neuritic injury within plaques
oxidative stress
alters kinase/phosphatase activity

Question 27

apolipoprotein E

Answer 27

secreted lipoprotein involved in cholesterol metabolism

Question 28

which APOE isoform is most dangerous and what does it do

Answer 28

ApoE4
decrease beta amyloid clearance

Question 29

do amyloid plaques or Tau tangles correlate with cognitive decline

Answer 29

tau tangles

Question 30

why is ACh signalling decreased in AD

Answer 30

increased acetylcholinesesterase
degeneration of ACh pathways

Question 31

AD treatments

Answer 31

acytylcholinesterase inhibitors
NMDA antagonists
antidepressants
antipsychotics
mood stabilisers

Question 32

what type of drugs are donepezil, galantamine, and rivastigmine

Answer 32

acetylcholinesterase inhibitors

Question 33

NMDA receptor antagonist drug

Answer 33

memantine